Nanny contract in Thailand: what to include, clause by clause

A nanny contract in Thailand is the document most families mean to write and never quite do. The nanny starts on a handshake, the arrangement works for six months, and then a question comes up that nobody agreed: is the Songkran holiday paid, what happens when she is sick for a week, how much notice does either side give. By then, everyone remembers the original conversation differently.

A written agreement fixes that. It does not need to be long or legalistic. It needs to cover the legal baseline for domestic workers, the practical terms you agreed, and the health and hygiene rules that matter in a home with children, in a language the nanny reads comfortably.

This guide is practical, not legal advice. It sets out what the law requires in outline, what good practice looks like beyond that, and a clause-by-clause template outline. For anything unusual, particularly with a foreign nanny, have a Thai lawyer check the final version.

Why a written contract protects both sides

For the family, a contract means clarity. You know what you are paying for, which hours are included, what happens if things do not work out, and you have a record if there is ever a dispute. It also makes the expectations you care about, such as no phones while the children are in the pool, part of the job rather than a favour.

For the nanny, it means security. She knows her pay date, her day off, her leave and her notice. Many experienced Bangkok nannies have worked for families who changed the hours on a whim or stopped paying for public holidays, and a written agreement tells her you will not.

The contract also does a quieter job: it forces the conversation. Sitting down to agree sick-day rules, overtime and house rules before the start date surfaces the differences that otherwise appear in month three. In our experience, families who write things down keep their nannies longer.

What goes wrong without one

• Hours creep from 08:00 to 18:00 into 07:30 to 19:30 without anyone agreeing extra pay.
• Public holidays become a source of resentment, worked unpaid or paid inconsistently.
• A long illness leaves both sides unsure what is owed.
• A family travels for a month and stops paying, and the nanny leaves.
• The relationship ends badly, with no agreed notice and no record of what was promised.

The legal baseline for domestic workers in Thailand

Thailand's labour rules for domestic workers are a narrower set than for most employees. The points below are the ones this guide relies on. For the detail, and for anything not listed here, go to the source: the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare for working conditions, and the Social Security Office for registration.

Everything else in this guide, from working hours to probation and notice, is common practice rather than a statutory figure. We deliberately do not quote minimum wages, overtime multipliers or statutory notice periods here, because rules change and the details depend on the individual arrangement. If you need those answers, check with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare or ask a lawyer.

Foreign nannies and work permits

A foreign nanny, whether from the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia or elsewhere, needs a valid work permit for the role she is doing. Check that the names and photographs match, that the permit is current and that the details fit your job. Diarise expiry dates for the permit and the passport.

Never keep your nanny's passport or work permit "for safekeeping". She holds her own documents. Our guide to vetting a nanny in Thailand covers ID, police checks and references before you reach the contract stage.

Clause by clause: what to include

A good nanny contract fits on three or four pages. Write it in plain English and Thai, or in whichever language the nanny reads most comfortably, and have a native speaker check the translation. Both of you sign, and both keep a copy.

The role clause

Be specific. "Childcare for Mia (2) and Leo (5), including meals and snacks for the children, school pickup for Leo, children's laundry and tidying the children's rooms" is a role. "Help around the house" is an argument waiting to happen. If you also want cooking for the adults or general housework, say so and reflect it in the pay. Our guide to live-in versus live-out nannies covers how duties and pay usually differ between the two.

Confidentiality, photos and phones

Write down what you expect, and apply it both ways. Common clauses: no photos of the children on her social media, no sharing details of the family's home, routines or security codes, and personal phone use kept to breaks and genuine needs while she is on duty, never while children are in or near water. In return, the family does not post her photo without asking and respects her privacy on her day off. If you use cameras in the home, say so in the contract and keep them out of her room and the bathroom.

The health and hygiene clauses

This is where most contracts are thin, and where the stakes are highest with small children. We suggest writing these as duties:

• Handwashing. Soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing food, after nappies and the toilet, after wiping noses and after outings, following the CDC's handwashing guidance.
• Food safety. Fridge at 5 °C or below, separate boards for raw meat, cooked food cooled and refrigerated within two hours, and leftovers used within a few days. The WHO's food safety fact sheet and the USDA's leftovers guidance are good references to attach.
• Allergies. Named allergens, how they are kept out of the home or separated, and what to do in a reaction. FARE's food allergy resources are a useful basis for the family's written allergy plan.
• Medicine. Given only with the parents' written consent, at the label or doctor's dose, and logged.
• First aid. A current first aid and CPR certificate, renewed before it expires; the Red Cross child and baby CPR guide is a good refresher.
• Bangkok seasons. During PM2.5 season, roughly December to March, outdoor play follows the IQAir Bangkok readings; in the rainy months, May to October, repellent on outings and weekly checks for standing water, as the Department of Disease Control advises for dengue.

Hours, days off, holidays and sick leave in practice

Hours

Write down daily start and finish times and the days of the week. Include a meal break; a nanny who eats standing up while feeding a toddler has not had one. If your hours vary, agree the usual pattern and how much notice you give for changes.

The live-in point causes the most disputes. A live-in nanny who is asked to "just keep an ear out" every night is working. If you need night cover, agree it as part of the role and pay for it, or book a night nanny.

Live-in terms

For a live-in nanny, the contract should describe her room, that it is hers and private, the meals provided, and access to a bathroom and laundry. State her free time clearly, including evenings and her day off, and that she may leave the home when off duty. Agree any rules on visitors in plain terms. Avoid curfews and rules that reach into her personal life; they make good nannies leave.

Days off and public holidays

Name the weekly day off. If you ever need her on that day, ask, agree, and give the day back or pay for it, in writing. For public holidays, attach the year's calendar to the contract and mark which days are taken off and how any worked holiday is compensated. Songkran and New Year are the ones that cause the most arguments, because families often travel.

Annual leave

The contract should state how many days of paid annual leave she gets each year, and how dates are agreed. Many Bangkok families ask for leave to be taken when they travel, which is reasonable if it is in the contract and the nanny still gets some choice of dates.

Sick leave and the return-to-work rule

Domestic workers are entitled to sick leave. The contract should say how she reports sickness (a message before a set time), when a medical certificate is needed, and how sick days are paid.

Add the health rules that protect the children. A nanny with a fever stays home. After vomiting or diarrhoea, she stays home until 48 hours after the last episode, in line with the NHS advice on food poisoning, because stomach bugs spread easily through food and hands. If she will cook, discuss hepatitis A vaccination with your doctor; the WHO's hepatitis A fact sheet explains how it spreads. Ask every candidate the same health questions and keep the answers private.

Pay, payslips, bonuses and social security

Pay

State the monthly pay, the pay date and the method. Bank transfer on a fixed date is best for both sides: it leaves a record and avoids the end-of-month "can I have it tomorrow" conversation. If you provide room and meals for a live-in nanny, say so in the contract rather than treating it as part of the cash pay.

For context, direct-hire full-time nannies in Bangkok typically earn ฿18,000 to ฿40,000 a month. Our pricing page shows CareRova's all-in rates.

Payslips

A simple monthly payslip is good practice even in a household. It shows the period, the gross pay, any extra hours or allowances, any deductions such as social security contributions if you register her, and the net amount paid. Keep copies. Payslips also help a nanny who needs to show her income to open a bank account, rent a flat or apply for a visa.

Bonuses

Many Bangkok households give a bonus at New Year or Songkran, sometimes a thirteenth month's pay. If you plan to, say whether it is guaranteed or discretionary, and what it depends on. A bonus written as "discretionary" is still expected once it has been paid two years running, so be deliberate.

Social security

Employers may register domestic staff with the Social Security Office. Check the current rules, forms and contributions directly with the office before the start date, and agree in the contract how any deduction will appear on her payslip. If the nanny already has cover through another route, note it.

Probation, notice and ending the arrangement

Probation

Many families use a probation period of one to three months. The contract should state its length, what you will review at the end (reliability, safety, the children's response, communication), and the notice either side gives during probation. A paid trial day before signing, which we arrange for every placement, catches many mismatches before probation starts.

Notice

Agree a notice period that is the same for both sides. One month is a common choice. Say whether you may pay in place of notice, and whether unused annual leave is paid out when the arrangement ends.

Serious misconduct

List the things that end the arrangement immediately: harming a child, theft, working under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving a young child unsupervised, or a serious breach of confidentiality. Keep the list short and serious. Minor problems deserve a conversation and a written note first.

Ending the arrangement well

When it ends, give written notice, pay everything owed on the agreed date, return any of her belongings and documents, and write a fair reference if you can. Before ending an employment, check what is owed with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare or a lawyer, rather than relying on what a friend did.

Managed placement vs direct hire: who holds the contract

How you hire decides who holds the employment contract, who runs payroll and who finds cover when the nanny is sick.

With either model, the vetting is the same: police background check, ID and work-eligibility check, at least two references phoned, first aid and CPR for child carers and a paid trial day. If you choose placement-only, the contract in this guide is yours to write and keep.

Language matters with either model. Our guide to English-speaking and bilingual nannies covers putting key terms in both Thai and English, and two families sharing one nanny should read our nanny share guide for the three-way agreement.

A contract checklist and how to get help

Template outline

Use this as a skeleton, fill in each heading in plain language, translate it and have a Thai lawyer check it.

1. Parties: employer, nanny, ID or passport numbers, addresses.
2. Start date, place of work, role: children's names and ages, duties included and excluded.
3. Hours: days, start and finish, meal break, how changes are agreed.
4. Day off: the weekly day and how swaps work.
5. Public holidays: attached calendar and how worked holidays are compensated.
6. Annual leave: number of days and how dates are agreed.
7. Sick leave: reporting, medical certificates, pay, and the 48-hour return rule.
8. Pay: amount, pay date, method, payslip, any bonus terms.
9. Extra hours and travel: how agreed and paid; who pays transport, room and meals.
10. Social security: whether registered and how deductions appear.
11. Health and hygiene duties: handwashing, food safety, allergies, medicine consent, first aid, PM2.5 and dengue routines.
12. Confidentiality and photos.
13. Live-in terms, if relevant: room, meals, free time, visitors.
14. Probation: length, review, notice during probation.
15. Notice and termination: equal notice, pay in place of notice, serious misconduct.
16. Signatures and dates, with a copy for each party.

Before you sign

• Work permit checked and copied for a foreign nanny
• Contract translated and read through together
• Health, allergy and medicine rules attached
• Public holiday calendar attached
• Pay date and bank details confirmed
• Emergency card on the fridge with 1669 and the nearest hospital
• Lawyer's review for anything unusual

Getting help

If you would rather not hold the contract, payroll and cover yourself, a CareRova managed placement does that for you; if you want to employ directly, our placement-only option finds and vets the nanny for a one-off fee of one month's rate. We shortlist within 48 hours. Read more on the nanny service page, then WhatsApp or call +66 97 120 3054, email support@carerova.com, or use the contact form.